Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is an idea proposed by psychologist Abraham Maslow in his 1943 paper “A Theory of Human Motivation.”
Maslow believed that people have an inborn desire to be self-actualized, that is, to be all they can be. To achieve this ultimate goal, however, a number of more basic needs must be met first. Maslow’s theory states that our actions are motivated by certain physiological and psychological needs that progress from basic to complex.
Maslow posited that human needs are arranged in a hierarchy
- Physiological needs – people must first meet biological requirements for survival.
- Safety needs – people want to experience order, predictability, and control in their lives.
- Love and belongingness needs – people have an emotional need for interpersonal relationships, affiliating, connectedness, and being part of a group.
- Esteem needs – people strive for self-worth, accomplishment, and respect.
- Self-actualization needs – people realize their potential, seeking personal growth, and peak experiences.
Progress through this hierarchy is often disrupted by a failure to meet lower-level needs. Therefore, not everyone will move through the hierarchy in a uni-directional manner but may move back and forth between the different types of needs.
Deficiency needs are concerned with basic survival. Growth needs are psychological
Deficiency needs include physiological needs (such as the need for food, sex, and sleep) and safety needs (such as the need for security and freedom from danger). Behaviors associated with these needs are seen as ‘deficiency’ motivated, as they are a means to an end.
Deficiency needs arise from deprivation and motivate people when they are unmet. The motivation to fulfill such needs will become stronger the longer they are denied.
Growth needs are associated with realizing an individual’s full potential and need to ‘self-actualize’. These needs are achieved more through intellectual and creative behaviors.
By 1970, Maslow created an expanded list of needs
- Physiological needs
- Safety needs
- Love and belongingness needs
- Esteem needs
- Cognitive needs – people have a need for meaning and predictability. knowledge and understanding, curiosity and exploration
- Aesthetic needs – people seek beauty, balance, form, etc.
- Self-actualization needs
- Transcendence needs – people are motivated by values that transcend beyond the personal self
Maslow believed that these hierarchy of needs are similar to instincts and play a major role in motivating behavior. This theory suggests that higher needs in the hierarchy emerge when people fulfill basic needs before moving on to other, more advanced needs, ranging from biological needs to transcendence.